The World of Fashion Using Technology
There is no end to the number of patterns and styles that can be used in the world of fashion, and how different designs and textures can be mixed and matched to create a stunning outfit. However, it is difficult to truly visualize these patterns and designs unless they are sketched. This is why a number of fashion designers and artists use sketchbooks with pencil drawings of their prospective outfits, to help them design the different shapes, fits, and how the dress should flow. This is extremely time consuming and cannot be easily altered if the designer changes their mind. More recently, fashion designers are resorting to digital technology to help them visualise their pieces.
Adobe Photoshop is the most popular paid professional software for creating and editing graphics and photographs, as well as drawing, fashion design illustration, and colouring. Photoshop is one of the most important tools for fashion designers of all skill levels. However, when you first start using it, it can be quite overwhelming. Photoshop has so many buttons, sliders, and other tools that it’s difficult to know where to start, but not impossible. There are a number of Adobe Photoshop classes in Australia, much like those offered by The Print School to help guide you through the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop for fashion designing.
Digital Tools Used In Designing
While Photoshop is the most widely used software to design prints and patterns nowadays, it has not always been the go to design product. Adobe Illustrator is the go-to product for graphic designers, and it has been since it was first released in 1987 for Apple Macintosh computers, followed by a PC version a few years later. Photoshop, of course, quickly followed, and then came web design software. Today, Adobe has over 50 different apps on the market, the vast majority of which are unknown to the majority of people. Illustrator and Photoshop are two apps that really stand out and have stood the test of time, and they are heavily used in the fashion industry.
Designers are more empowered than ever before to design and create things however they see fit, thanks to advancements in design technology such as Adobe Creative Cloud. Costume and apparel designers of all skill levels and backgrounds can create realistic renderings of unique pieces to enhance their portfolios by incorporating this technology into their workflow. The software also allows designers to easily transform and reimagine previously created designs.
Designers’ creativity can be boosted by using software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which allows them to conjure concepts straight from their minds onto the screen with a few clicks. Since fashion is always changing based on fluctuating trends, a fabric that was popular today may not be what the consumers want tomorrow. Having a digital rendering of the designs for different outfits allows these artists to adapt to the changing trends and swap out fabrics whenever they’d like.
Used by Fashion Designers/ Design Students
Since Illustrator and Photoshop are probably the two most commonly used pieces of software in the fashion industry, they are particularly used for design. They can be used for a variety of purposes, and Adobe Education Exchange offers Photoshop courses for fashion students on its website.
Students in both programmes can create mood boards, sketches for fashion design, textile designs, and typography and graphics. They can also make changes easily and quickly, unlike in the past. The ability to quickly change colours on a design or repeat a pattern removes the tedium of design work and allows students to focus on the creative aspects of their work.
Used For Glossy Fashion Magazines
The traditional fashion magazine has long been thought to be in decline. While the physical product does not sell as many copies as it once did, there is still a market for it. Glamour, Nylon, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and, of course, Elle are among the best-selling magazines.
Elle still sells over 40 international editions of their magazine, which cover 60 countries worldwide. Despite the fact that websites for fashion magazines have a large market and appeal to a younger generation, the paper magazine remains popular. The photoshoots and gloss are the reasons why newspapers and other print products are declining faster than fashion magazines. The double-spread or high-quality shoots in these magazines cannot be replicated as well online for anyone interested in fashion. Photographers play an important role in the fashion industry, and there are some fantastic photography courses available online if this is something you want to do as a hobby or as a career. Meanwhile, Photoshop and other Adobe products continue to make sure that these magazines hit the stands and are produced for every lobby, waiting room and bookshelf.
Used For Touch-Ups
Manipulation is one issue that has landed the fashion industry, magazines, and Photoshop in hot water. While this is not the fault of software developers, their software includes some powerful tools for photo editing. Many people, including the models themselves, have stated that editing and manipulation sometimes go too far.
While Photoshop is great for removing blemishes, spots, shadows, and other minor flaws, it is not used to make models look thinner, which has sparked a backlash from body-positive organisations as well as eating disorder charities. Interestingly, it isn’t just doctors who are concerned; many celebrities have spoken out against extreme Photoshop manipulation and how unrealistic the results are when compared to how the model actually looks.
Used To Design Hangtags & Labels
Illustrator and Photoshop work well together to create fashion labelling. Manufacturers use hang tags to convey information to customers, and they can be attached to clothing or other items. Depending on the product, hang tags may display the materials used or may include washing and care instructions. Hang tags are interesting because they are also a form of advertising. When you walk into a fashion store and look towards the clothing racks, these small tags are the last line of advertising. It’s too late to see an advertisement or a poster, but these tags are right there in the store. A designer can make a small but effective way to attract potential customers to the garments or products by using good design, colour, and Photoshop & Illustrator.
If you are studying fashion or want to start your own clothing line, an online label maker can create custom hang tags from your design or theirs. Hang tags also carry required legal information, such as the country of origin.
Used For Website Design
Photography is a significant part of the fashion industry, with many photographers working as freelancers. While some magazines may have in-house photographers, they are more likely to hire freelancers. Photoshop will be used by fashion photographers to crop, adjust levels, colourize, add effects and filters, and remove blemishes. They also use the software to optimise and resize photos for use on websites.
A portfolio is required for a freelance fashion photographer in order to be noticed. While there are great website builders for photographers who don’t know how to code, they still need to make their work look its best, which Photoshop can help with. There are some amazing portfolios online from fashion photographers and other professionals, and Photoshop has undoubtedly been used to help prepare the work for the internet.
What This Means For Fashion
Fashion brands and designers continue to evolve and embrace new technology, but one could argue that the industry has only scratched the surface of what is possible. Whatever happens next for the world’s hottest fashion brands, technology will be right in the middle of it — and Adobe is excited to continue working with forward-thinking designers. Photoshop and Illustrator are used in the fashion industry from the beginning, when would-be designers practise at home, through university and art or fashion schools, and then again once employed. This software can be found in glossy magazines, packaging such as bags and boxes, hangtags and other labelling, advertising, and posters. Of course, one of the most common applications of Photoshop is in clothing design. The fashion industry would still be using pen and paper if this software did not exist.
Adobe Photoshop is an extremely versatile product, and can be used for almost every function of design related to patterns, fabrics and textures, and has changed the design game in the world of fashion. There are certain Adobe Photoshop skills that every fashion designer or fabric print designer should have in their back-pocket to help them through their professional lives, and The Print School, Australia offers Adobe Photoshop classes to facilitate this. They offer Adobe Photoshop training, or more specifically, specific skills that allow designers to complete jobs much faster than if they followed textbook, more time-consuming processes. Photoshop courses will teach you everything you need to know to master the craft of surface pattern design for the commercial world.
The Print School offers a wide array of Adobe Photoshop Classes, Australia that is designed to help you learn specific skills for pattern design, brush painting and other general Photoshop skills that are required to navigate your way around Photoshop as a fashion designer. If you have not used Photoshop before, or you have just been introduced to the software, you do not need to be apprehensive because they provide a list of classes that are designed for various skill levels, prints and patterns, and aims. Photoshop courses are not all created equal. You can get Photoshop training from the best in the industry, so if you want more information about The Print School, click here.